Conventional wall panel systems are designed to be attached to an underlying building structure, such as a wall frame or subsurface. Attachment of the panels to the building structure is achieved by conventional screws or fasteners. Metal wall panel systems include wall, fascia and soffit applications. These systems have advantages, such as design flexibilities with visual effects, and easy, cost effective installations while providing additional strength. The panels are designed for wall, fascia and soffit applications where a flush or flat appearance is desired. For example, a rounded interlock leg and concealed fastening system improves the flush appearance while providing additional strength.
Metal wall panels are typically interlocked or overlapped with each other to enhance the bonding strength. A fastener is driven through the wall panels in an interface region of the panels and the wall frame or subsurface to firmly attach to the building structure. Such installations are unfortunately poorly suited for high wind zones. A high wind zone condition refers to, for example, a peak gust of greater than 90 miles per hour wind speed, as defined in American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) 7-10. More generally, high wind zones are areas that experience tropical storm conditions, including hurricane zones. The overlap, interface and fastener can fail in high wind zone conditions that other wall coverings might tolerate.
Higher wind resistance is generally beneficial, even outside of high wind zone areas. Abnormal weather conditions can produce equivalent winds in any geographic location, and the ability to withstand severe gusts that are more common in high wind zone areas is beneficial.
Recent efforts by one steel company, namely an AEP Span (hereinafter “AEP”), have provided a metal clip for providing improved panel performance in the high wind condition. As described in their Technical Bulletin #35 (hereinafter “Bulletin #35”), a 16-gauge, G90 galvanized steel is used for the clip, and a dimension of the clip includes a longitudinal length of 11.9 inches and a width of 1.0 inch. The AEP's clip presents a span of at least two wall panels for securement of adjacent panels. See, Bulletin #35, FIGS. 3 and 4. The clip spans an entire panel, including both end interface regions and a body region between the end interface regions.
This creates difficulties during installation. The clip must first be installed and separately aligned for proper panel installation, and then the panel installed over the clip. Further, each AEP's clip must use at least three fasteners for achieving attachment to the wall frame or subsurface. During installation, one end of the AEP's clip requires at least two fasteners and the other end of the clip requires at least one fastener to fixedly attach the clip to the building structure. This increases the installation time and expense. Moreover, a clip mounting hole located on the clip must be aligned with a fastener locating groove of each wall panel so that the fastener can hold the clip and panel together onto the wall frame or subsurface. A centerline indicator stamped above and below the clip mounting hole is used to properly align the clip relative to the corresponding wall panel.